BEIJING: China and the Democratic Republic of the Congo would strengthen their partnership and increase cooperation, Beijing said on Friday, as dialogue to renegotiate mining agreements for the African country’s important mineral reserves continue.
The trip by DRC President Felix Tshisekedi, his first official visit to Beijing, is the latest in a series of diplomatic advances made by Beijing to African nations.
Tshisekedi and Chinese President Xi Jinping “announced the elevation of the bilateral ties from a strategic alliance of win-win cooperation to a complete strategic cooperative partnership” on Friday, China’s foreign ministry said. China is a key investor in the DR Congo, where the Asian power dominates the profitable mineral mining industry.
China-DRC relations
Between meetings with President Xi and Prime Minister Li Qiang on Friday, he was received by a guard of honor and cheering kids. Tshisekedi was apprised by Li that “China-DRC relations will undoubtedly achieve greater development and benefit of the people of the two countries.” The enormous central African country is a major exporter of copper, uranium, and cobalt , but it remains one of the world’s poorest nations.
Erik Nyindu Kibambe, a senior DRC official, told reporters in China that mining renegotiation discussions were moving “perfectly,” with the Congolese side expecting an agreement by the end of the year. He hoped to reach an agreement between the two states.
